Post-Standard Amateur cut falls at 81; Brian Evans in lead at 70

Oneida – Brian Evans took command of the 56th Post-Standard Amateur on Wednesday the hard way – by making birdies on two of the tougher holes at Kanon Valley Country Club.

The result was a 2-under-par 70 and a three-stroke lead after the first round of the 72-hole tournament. His score included birdies on the long par-4 fourth hole – Kanon Valley’s signature hole -- and the dastardly par-3 17th, which was playing about 215 yards into the wind.

“I probably gained a stroke and a half with the birdie at 17 and about the same on No. 4,” said Evans, a 42-year-old member at Beaver Meadows who has contended frequently but has yet to win an SDGA major championship. “You don’t expect those holes to be birdie holes.”

The rest of Evans’ round was equally proficient, as he posted two birdies and one bogey on each nine to take a three-stroke lead into today’s second round at The Links at Erie Village.

Tied for second place at 73 were five players, including Gair Carrigan, Anthony Occhipinti, Joe Radulski, Carl Schimenti and Zachary Farden. Four more were at 74 and five others were at 75, topped by Kevin VandenBerg, who led last year's tournament for 71 holes before losing on the final hole to Kevin Roy.

Roy, the two-time defending champion, is not in the field, having turned pro last week.

The cut fell at 81, allowing 64 of the 140 players in the starting field to advance to the second round, where the field will be pared to the low 32 scores and ties. Those players will be eligible to play the final two rounds at the Cavalry Club on Friday and Oswego Country Club on Saturday.

The day began under clear skies and calm winds, a complete reversal from last year’s conditions, when rain and wild winds challenged golfers. But Wednesday’s play was interrupted by a lightning delay that stopped play for about 1 ½ hours in the middle of the afternoon.

Among those escaping the weather was Carrigan, a former club pro who sandwiched a solid round between two errant holes. He started the day with a four-putt double bogey and ended with a bogey caused by hitting the wrong ball on his approach shot.

“I’m pretty happy with 73,” said Carrigan, a Bellevue member who will turn 33 on Saturday. “After four-putting my first hole (No. 10), I went birdie, eagle and made the turn in 33.”

Despite making three bogeys on his first eight holes on the front nine, he was still at even par heading into his last hole, the par-5 ninth. Then his second glitch of the day occurred.

His drive wound up in the fairway near a drainage ditch, but only two yards away from the ball of one of his playing partners. Both walked to the ball they thought was theirs and hit toward the green. Only when they got to their second shots did they discover they had each hit the wrong ball.

“We had to go back to the fairway and replay the shots. With the penalty, I wound up making a (bogey) 6,” he said. “So, that cost me two strokes there.”

The tournament began on a sad note with the announcement of the death of its founder, former Herald-Journal sports editor Arnie Burdick. Burdick died at age 92 in Hilton Head, S.C., where he moved after retiring from the H-J in 1984.

Burdick, a longtime advocate of amateur golf, started the tournament in 1956 as a way to provide a major tournament that would not force a club to give up its course for three to five days. His brainchild was to conduct a 72-hole event on four different courses over four consecutive days.

The idea led to the most popular and prestigious tournament in the area. It is now in its 56th year of existence. At its peak, in the early 2000s, players had to be turned away when fields peaked at 570 entrants.

After retiring, Burdick became, in 1986, the media relations director for the PGA Tour’s Heritage tournament, a popular event played the week after the Masters. Burdick served in that capacity through this year’s event.